See related documentsCommunication
| Doc. 13816
| 22 June 2015
Activities of the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe between the Second part and the Third part of the 2015 Ordinary session
1. Visits and meetings
1.1. Activities of the
President between 16 April and 18 May 2015
1.1.1. Participation in
the Lennart Meri Conference and bilateral meetings in Estonia (25-26
April 2015)
1. On 25 April 2015, I took part in the 2015 Lennart
Meri Conference, in particular, as a keynote speaker in one of the
panel discussion sessions entitled “Thinking the unthinkable: what
is next in store for us?”.
2. In my speech, I highlighted the worrying rise in hatred, xenophobia
and intolerance in Council of Europe member States. Moreover, I
called on all democratic forces, including representatives of civil
society and religious leaders, to strengthen efforts to foster mutual
respect between cultures and communities, focusing on what unites
us, not what divides us.
3. Moreover, during the conference, I could meet a number of
international officials, including Mr Lamberto Zanier, Secretary
General of the OSCE, and Ambassador Alexander Vershbow, Deputy Secretary
General of NATO.
4. Furthermore, I held a series of bilateral meetings with Estonia’s
senior officials, including the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign
Affairs, the Speaker of the Riigikogu, and representatives of different parliamentary
groups. I also held an exchange of views with members of the Women’s
Support and Information Centre and with the Executive Director of
the Estonian Human Rights Centre.
5. During my discussions with Estonian authorities, I praised
Estonia as a strong and stable European partner, and expressed full
confidence in the country’s continued positive commitment to Council
of Europe values during the approaching Chairmanship of the Committee
of Ministers.
6. Among subjects raised during official meetings, I touched
upon the issue of minority rights, the need for European solidarity
in protecting refugees, and the situation in Ukraine. Moreover,
I encouraged the Estonian Parliament to ratify the Convention on
preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence
(the Istanbul Convention) as soon as possible.
1.1.2. Official visit
to Latvia (27-28 April 2015)
7. At the invitation of the Speaker of the Latvian Parliament,
I paid an official visit to Latvia on 26-28 April 2015. At the end
of my visit, I congratulated the Latvian authorities on the progress
achieved since the restoration of independence, stressing the considerable
efforts made by the country to fulfill its Council of Europe commitments
and obligations.
8. During my meetings with parliamentarians, I welcomed the follow-up
given to judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, in particular,
within the framework of the Legal Affairs Committee of the Saeima.
9. Turning to the current Latvian Chairmanship of the Council
of the European Union, I expressed full support for the priorities
set at the beginning of the Presidency and congratulated the authorities
on their prompt and firm reaction in responding to recent terrorist
attacks. Referring to the tragedies in the Mediterranean, I encouraged
a more ambitious agenda at the European Union level and called for
more solidarity on behalf of all European governments and societies.
10. As far as domestic reforms are concerned, I encouraged the
Latvian authorities to contribute to the further integration of
national minorities into political life and to resolutely fight
against intolerance and hate speech. In particular, I commended
the recent simplification of the procedure for the naturalisation
of so-called ’non-citizens’ and their children. However, some issues
concerning the involvement of these residents of Latvia in political
life remain open and, in this context, I expressed the view that
Latvian officials and members of the Russian minority should co-operate
more actively in order to discuss the question of granting ’non-citizens’
the right to vote in local elections.
11. Finally, I congratulated Latvian political leaders, including
the Minister of Foreign Affairs, for having ratified 96 Council
of Europe conventions and encouraged the authorities to continue
this positive dynamic. In particular, I underlined the need for
Latvia to sign and ratify the Convention on preventing and combating violence
against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention).
1.1.3. Official visit
to Georgia (6-8 May 2015)
12. At the invitation of the Speaker of the Parliament
of Georgia, I paid an official visit to Georgia, on 6-8 May 2014.
At the end my visit, I congratulated the Georgian authorities for
the substantial progress the country achieved on the path of democratic
reforms.
13. In my discussions I strongly encouraged Georgian leaders to
continue on the positive path of reforms and to intensify efforts,
in particular, on the constitutional and electoral reform fronts.
Moreover, I highlighted the need to complete the fundamental reforms
of the judiciary, prosecutor’s office and law enforcement system. In
this context, I assured the Georgian authorities of the Council
of Europe’s support.
14. At the same time, I stressed that the biggest responsibility
in the process of reforms was in the hands of national political
leaders and especially parliamentarians. All political forces seem
to agree that the above-mentioned reforms are necessary and that
they must be conducted efficiently and swiftly. But there should
also be mutual co-operation and constructive dialogue between the
opposition and the majority.
15. Turning to the Council of Europe’s general priorities, I called
on Georgian decision-makers to resolutely combat all forms of hatred
and intolerance, including homophobic and xenophobic violence and
statements, stressing the responsibility of politicians to contribute
to a peaceful climate of living-together.
16. Regarding South Ossetia, Georgia, and Abkhazia, Georgia, I
reiterated the Assembly’s support for Georgia’s territorial integrity
and sovereignty and raised concerns over the humanitarian situation
in these areas. My visit to the Administrative Boundary Line was
particularly significant in this respect. In this context, I stressed
that the situation of IDPs was of a particular concern. Georgian
authorities have made tremendous efforts to guarantee a decent life
to these people, but temporary measures are not the solution. I
hope that constructive discussions on IDPs could be resumed in the
framework of the Geneva talks.
17. Finally, I would like to stress that in all my discussions,
I was particularly impressed by the extremely high degree of openness
and readiness to co-operate with international partners demonstrated
by the authorities.
1.1.4. Ceremony in commemoration
the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War (Strasbourg,
9 May 2015)
18. Speaking at the ceremony to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, I paid
tribute to all victims and heroes of the Second World War and in
particular, the people of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland and the
Balkan countries who paid an especially heavy toll for our common peaceful
future.
19. Focusing on our responsibility to prevent the repetition of
such atrocities, I stressed that democracy, tolerance and living
together were our best antidotes against war and called on all democratic
political forces to transcend their differences and, together with
civil society, intellectuals and religious leaders, oppose and denounce
extremism, fundamentalism and xenophobia – the seeds of totalitarianism.
1.1.5. Other activities
20. On 14 May 2015, I participated in the 2015 International
Charlemagne Prize of Aachen Ceremony. In the margins of the ceremony,
I held brief exchanges of views with Mr Jean-Claude Juncker, President
of the European Commission, Mr Martin Schulz, President of the European
Parliament, Mr Petro Poroshenko, President of Ukraine, and also
Mr Pavlo Klimkin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
1.2. Activities of the
President between 19 May and 19 June 2015
1.2.1. 125th Session of
the Committee of Ministers (Brussels, 19 May 2015)
21. Addressing the 125th Session of the Committee of
Ministers in Brussels, I highlighted the main challenges the Council
of Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly are currently facing, in
particular, the conflict in Ukraine, the migration drama, the increase
of violations of human rights in numerous countries as well as the
increase of hate speech and intolerance.
22. In the margins of the plenary sitting, I met a number of Ministers
and senior diplomatic officials from our member States. I would
like to highlight in particular my bilateral meeting with Mr Bård
Glad Pedersen, State Secretary, Norway, as well as a brief exchange
with Mr Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian
Federation.
1.2.2. Assembly meetings
in Sarajevo (20-22 May 2015)
23. On 20-22 May 2015, I participated in the meetings
of the Presidential Committee, Bureau and Standing Committee of
the Assembly held in Sarajevo, within the framework of Bosnia and
Herzegovina’s chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers. In particular,
this was an opportunity to hold a first exchange of views with the authorities
about the priorities and activities of the Chairmanship and the
ways in which the Assembly could provide its support for their implementation.
24. In this context, I greatly appreciated the possibility to
have meetings with Mr Šefik Džaferović Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Mr Bariša Čolak, Speaker of the House of Peoples, as well as with
Mr Igor Crnadak, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the
Committee of Ministers.
25. Moreover, I met a number of representatives of the international
community in Sarajevo in order to discuss how the activities of
the Council of Europe and its Assembly could be better co-ordinated
with those of other international partners in supporting domestic
reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
1.2.3. Participation in
events related to the fight against hatred and intolerance (Strasbourg,
28-29 May 2015)
26. On 28-29 May 2015, I participated in the introductory
session of the European Symposium “No hate Web, No Hate Speech”
co-organised by the Conference of the INGOs of the Council of Europe
and the International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism (LICRA).
Moreover, I addressed the evaluation and follow-up conference of
the No Hate Speech Movement “The end of the beginning?” Furthermore,
I visited the “Lycée Jean Rostand” and delivered a lecture to the
students on the Council of Europe’s activities to fight intolerance
and hate.
27. In these different events, I highlighted the worrying rise
in hatred and intolerance in Europe and the need for all democratic
forces to strengthen their efforts to foster mutual respect and
understanding between cultures and people. I stressed, in particular,
the important role the new generation can play as agents of development and
change.
1.2.4. Participation in
the meetings of Assembly Committees (Paris, 1-2 June 2015)
28. On 1 June 2015, I participated in the meeting of
the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination. In the exchange
of views with the committee, I welcomed the recently created No
Hate Parliamentary Alliance and emphasised the need for a larger
platform promoting tolerance and diversity. I also encouraged the members
of the committee to visit schools and universities in order to speak
to young people about the importance of living together. Finally,
I congratulated the committee on the vital work done in promoting
the ratification of the Istanbul Convention and in effectively protecting
LGBT rights.
29. On 2 June 2015, I attended the meeting of the Committee on
Culture, Science, Education and Media. I reported to the committee
on my activities relating to media freedom and integrity in sports.
I praised the dynamism of the committee and congratulated its members
on their significant input in setting up the internet platform to
promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists.
Furthermore, I welcomed the committee’s proposal to re-launch the
idea of creating an interreligious platform.
1.2.5. Working visit to
Rome (3-4 June 2015)
30. At the invitation of Ms Laura Boldrini, Speaker of
the Italian Chamber of Deputies, I participated, on 4 June 2015,
in the opening session of the conference on “National and International
Experiences in Codes of Conduct for Parliamentarians”.
31. In particular, I highlighted the contribution of the Council
of Europe and of our Assembly to the fight against corruption. Moreover,
I stressed the primary role of parliamentarians in promoting transparency
and honesty in public life and called on politicians to act as role
models and to adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards corrupt practices.
32. In the margins of this conference, I held a series of bilateral
meetings with Italian senior officials, including, with Ms Maria
Elena Boschi, Minister of Constitutional Reforms and Relations with
the Parliament as well as the Ms Laura Boldrini, Speaker of the
Chamber of Deputies. I have also had the honour of being received
by Mr Sergio Mattarella, President of the Republic. Furthermore,
participated in the meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly Committee
on Political Affairs and Democracy.
33. During my discussions with Italian authorities I praised Italy
for the very ambitious set of reforms recently launched and their
firm commitment to eradicating corruption in public life.
1.2.6. Visit to UN institutions
in Geneva (8-10 June 2015)
34. During this visit, I met a number of UN High Officials,
in particular, Mr Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees,
Mrs Flavia Pansieri, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights,
Ms Laura Thompson, Deputy Director General of the International
Organisation for Migration, as well as Mr François Crépeau, Special
Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants. Moreover, I met senior
representatives of the International Labour Organisation, the United
Nations Research Institute for Social Development, the Vice-President
of the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as the
Director for Member Parliaments and External Relations of the Inter-Parliamentary
Union. Furthermore, I held an exchange of views with the representatives
of leading human rights NGOs accredited at the UN institutions in
Geneva as well as members of the diplomatic community.
35. My discussions focused on three major topics: human rights
aspects of migration and the situation of refugees and asylum seekers,
human rights challenges in Council of Europe member States, as well
as the situation in Ukraine.
36. Speaking about the migration challenge, I agreed with my interlocutors
that politicians must break the negative stereotypes about migration,
engage in a deep and substantive debate about the challenges and opportunities
it represents, as well as develop a positive political discourse
that values the benefits of migration. In particular, I stressed
the need to design policies that help migrants integrate into our
societies and promote social cohesion. This is all the more important
today, when populist and xenophobic rhetoric is on the rise and all
democratic political forces must speak out against manifestations
of hate and intolerance and support the values that underpin democratic
societies: human rights, respect for diversity, tolerance and living
together. In this context, I promoted, with my UN interlocutors,
the No Hate Parliamentary Alliance as an appropriate tool to combat
hate and intolerance.
37. Turning to the situation of refugees and asylum seekers, I
called on the international community to show greater solidarity
and share the responsibility. This is not only a political necessity
and a legal duty under international law, but also our duty as human
beings vis à vis those who are most vulnerable as a result of fleeing
war, conflict and other forms of persecution.
38. As far as human rights challenges are concerned, I deplored
the shrinking of space for fundamental rights and freedoms that
can be seen in a number of Council of Europe member States, as well
as globally. While stressing complementarity between the UN and
the Council of Europe in defending the universal values of human
rights, democracy and the rule of law, as the three pillars of strong,
stable, inclusive and sustainable societies, I also welcomed the
forthcoming visit to Strasbourg of the UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon, which will be an opportunity to explore avenues for co-operation
between the two international organisations, in particular as regards
the implementation of the future Sustainable Development Goals.
39. Turning to standard-setting, I highlighted the contribution
that Council of Europe conventions can make to the development of
international human rights standards at the global level citing
the Istanbul Convention on combating violence against women and
domestic violence as an example of a Council of Europe legal instrument
open for accession by non-member States. I called on my UN interlocutors
to work together towards ensuring that the standards established
by this legal instrument are not watered down in the development
of legal standards at global level.
40. Finally, turning to the situation in Ukraine, I welcomed the
close co-operation between the Council of Europe and the UN institutions
in addressing the human rights and humanitarian challenges of the
conflict. Calling on all sides to stop violence and abide by what
has been agreed in Minsk, I stressed the need to ensure a prompt
and effective investigation into all human rights violations.
1.2.7. Ad hoc Committee
of the Bureau on large scale arrival of refugees to Turkey (Istanbul
and Gaziantep, 14-16 June 2015)
41. On 14-16 June 2015, I led the Assembly’s Ad hoc Committee
of the Bureau on large scale arrival of refugees to Turkey during
its visit to Istanbul and Gaziantep. This Ad Hoc Committee brought
together 25 Assembly members from 20 national delegations with a
view to visit the “container cities” and tented camps near Gaziantep
and raise awareness of the parliamentarians about the situation
of refugees from Syria and Iraq in Turkey.
42. At the end of the visit I praised the outstanding efforts
of the Turkish authorities to provide safe haven to two million
refugees from Syria and Iraq. As more solidarity and responsibility
sharing is needed to address this challenge, I urged the members
of the Ad Hoc Committee to return to their home parliaments to raise awareness
of this situation ahead of World Refugee Day (20 June).
43. I also stressed that the European Union and individual European
countries must now offer much greater financial support to Turkey
to continue this great effort. Helping Turkey to provide a meaningful
life and future to these people, so that one day they may return
to their homes, also reduces the risk of terrorism or social problems
and overspill into other parts of Europe.
44. Furthermore, I suggested that the Council of Europe Development
Bank could – on request – provide significant funding to help Turkey
and its local authorities.
1.2.8. Other activities
Meetings in Strasbourg
45. On 8 June 2015, I met Monseigneur Paul Gallagher,
Holy See’s Secretary for relations with States. Our discussion focused
on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue and the Council
of Europe’s activities in this field, in particular in view of the
forthcoming 2015 Exchange on the Religious Dimension of Intercultural Dialogue
– Building Inclusive Societies Together, which will be held in Sarajevo,
on 8-9 September 2015.
46. On the same day, I met Ambassador Alexander Alekseev, Permanent
Representative of the Russian Federation to the Council of Europe,
to discuss, notably, the implications of the recently published
“stop list” of persons for whom access to the Russian Federation
has been forbidden and which includes among others two members of
the Parliamentary Assembly – Mr Karl-Georg Wellmann, from Germany,
and Mr Robert Walter, from the UK. Ambassador Alekseev informed
me that this decision would have no practical implications for the work
of the members of the Parliamentary Assembly because our members
targeted by the “stop list” would continue to enjoy access to the
territory of the Russian Federation for the purposes of participating
in Assembly activities. I took note of this explanation and informed
the Assembly members concerned accordingly.
Luxembourg
47. On 5 June 2015, I met Mr Mikhail Khodorkovsky, leader
of the Open Russia movement.
48. On 17 June 2015, I met Ms Katalin Dusaucy-Rapp, First Secretary
of the Embassy of Hungary to Belgium and Luxembourg.
Zurich
49. On 12 June 2015, I met Mr Didier Burkhalter, Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, in the margins of a seminar organised
by Liberal International. In particular, I congratulated Mr Burkhalter
and the Swiss authorities for their support to human rights defenders
and welcomed the fact that Mr Emin Huseynov, Azerbaijani human rights
defender and Council of Europe partner, had finally been able to
leave Azerbaijan after a 10-month stay at the Swiss Embassy.
Details of my activities and meetings are to be found in the
Appendices to this statement.
2. Press releases
1. Boat tragedy South of Lampedusa: President deeply shocked
(19 April 2015)
2. Anne Brasseur: the situation in Ukraine and the migration
tragedy, our two main challenges (20 April 2015)
3. 25th anniversary of the North-South Centre: a unique tool
for the promotion of our values beyond Europe (23 April 2015)
4. CIA secret prison: PACE President welcomes admission by
former Romanian President (24 April 2015)
5. All democratic forces need to join hands in combating hatred
and intolerance (26 April 2015)
6. President congratulates Latvian authorities on progress
achieved (28 April 2015)
7. International Press Freedom Day: 2014 – a particularly
hard year (30 April 2015)
8. The European flag embodies the will of a Europe united
around common values (5 May 2015)
9. PACE President congratulates Georgian authorities for the
progress achieved (9 May 2015)
10. Anne Brasseur recalls WWII sacrifices, hails democracy
as antidote to war (9 May 2015)
11. ’Joining in one large movement to say no to intolerance’
(19 May 2015)
12. PACE will support the priorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina
(22 May 2015)
13. President concerned by Russia’s new law on ’undesirable’
NGOs (24 May 2015)
14. Anne Brasseur: ’To be credible, FIFA must lance the boil
and overhaul its governance’ (28 May 2015)
15. Anne Brasseur condemns attack on Human Rights Prize winner
(3 June 2015)
16. ’United, we can fight corruption’, says Anne Brasseur
(4 June 2015)
17. Anne Brasseur calls for calm following Turkish electoral
rally explosions (6 June 2015)
18. PACE President calls for political discourse that values
benefits of migration (11 June 2015)
19. "Turkey’s example of dealing with Syrian refugees ’puts
rest of Europe to shame’" (16 June 2015)
3. Speeches
- Opening speech of the
2nd part of the 2015 Ordinary session (20 April 2015)
- Launch of the Parliamentary Campaign to End Immigration
Detention of Children (20 April 2015)
- Opening speech at the award ceremony of the Museum prize
(21 April 2015)
- Lecture in the framework of the FEC Conferences on the
theme “Religions: tomorrow, what common mission for Europe? Point
of view of a woman politician” (22 April 2015)
- Participation in the Panel discussion “Thinking the Unthinkable:
What’s next in store for us?” within the framework of the 2015 Lennart
Meri Conference – “The Limits of Order” (Tallinn, Estonia, 25 April
2015)
- Address to the Youth parliament (Riga, 27 April 2015)
- Lecture at the Riga Graduate School of Law (Riga, 27 April
2015)
- Exchange of views with the Committee of Ministers (Strasbourg,
29 April 2015)
- Presentation at the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State
University (Georgia, 7 May 2015)
- Address to the Parliament in Georgia (Kutaisi, 8 May 2015)
- Speech at the Commemoration ceremony of the 70th anniversary
of the end of the Second World War in Europe (Strasbourg, 9 May
2015)
- Speech on the occasion of the 125th Session of the Committee
of Ministers (Brussels, 19 May 2015)
- Introductory remarks, meeting of the Assembly’s Standing
Committee (Sarajevo, 22 May 2015)
- Introductory conference of the European Symposium “Challenges
of combating hate speech” “No Hate Web, No Hate Speech” (Strasbourg,
28 May 2015)
- Evaluation and follow-up conference – No Hate Speech Movement
“The end of the beginning?” (Strasbourg, 29 May 2015)
- Lecture on Democracy and tolerance stronger than hate,
at the “Lycée Jean Rostand” (Strasbourg, 29 May 2015)
- Opening statement at the Conference “National and International
Experiences in codes of conduct for parliamentarians” (Rome, 4 June
2015)
Appendix 1 – Activities between
16 April and 18 May 2015
(open)
Bilateral
meetings (in chronological order)
1. Meetings
during the Second part of the 2015 Ordinary Session of Parliamentary
Assembly (20-24 April 2014)
- Mr Raffaele Cantone,
President, Anti-corruption Authority, Italy
- Sir Graham Watson, President of the Alliance of Liberals
and Democrats for Europe Party
- Mr Mikhail Kasyanov, former Prime Minister of Russia,
Co-President of the RPR-Parnas Party in Russia
- Mr Sergei Guriev, economist, Russia
- Their Majesties The King and The Queen of the Belgians
- Ms Meltem Avcil, Turkey
- Mr Samer Haddadin, Chief of Mission, UNHCR, and Mr Othman
Belbeisi, Chief of Mission, IOM Libya
- Dr Franz Josef Jung, Vice-President of the CDU/CSU Group,
Bundestag, former Minister of Defence
- Mr Didier Reynders, President of the Committee of Ministers
and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium
- Ms Helena Dalli, Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer
Affairs and Civil Liberties, Malta
- Mr Nils Muiznieks, Commissioner for Human Rights
- Representatives of the Assembly of People’s Representatives
of Tunisia
- Mr Thomas Bach, President, International Olympic Committee
(Phone call)
- Mr Patrick Joseph Hickey, President of the European Olympic
Committees (Phone call)
Parliamentary Assembly members
- Mr João Bosco Mota Amaral, President, delegation of Portugal
- Mr Volodymyr Ariev, President, delegation of Ukraine
- Mr Andrej Hunko, member of the delegation of Germany
- Mr Aleksandr Nikoloski, President, delegation of “the
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”
- Mme Inese Lībiņa-Egnere, President,
delegation of Latvia
- Mr Mohamed Yatim, President, delegation of Morocco
- Ms Aleksandra Djurovic, President, delegation of Serbia
- Ms Hermine Nagdalyan, President, delegation of Armenia
- Members of the delegation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Mr Bob Walter, Chairperson, delegation of the United Kingdom
- Mr Zsolt Nemeth, President, delegation of Hungary
- Mr Reha Denemeç, President, delegation of Turkey
- Mr Oleksii Honcharenko, member of the delegation of Ukraine
- Mr Michele Nicoletti, President, delegation of Italy
- Mr Joseph Moustaki, Secretary of the delegation of Israel
- Mr Samad Seyidov, President, delegation of Azerbaijan
- Ms Kristyna Zelienkova, rapporteur on the political consequences
of the crisis in Ukraine
2. Participation
in the Lennart Meri Conference and bilateral meetings in Estonia
(24-26 April 2015)
- Mr Andres Herkel, Chairman
of the Estonian Free Party
- Representatives of Women’s Support and Information Centre
- Mr Eiki Nestor, President of the Riigikogu
- Ms Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, Minister of Foreign Affairs
of Estonia
- Mr Mart Nutt, Member of the Institute of Human Rights
- Mr Taavi Rôivas, Prime Minister of Estonia
- Mr Kari Käsper, Director General of the Human Rights Centre
- Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, Secretary General of the
OSCE
- Ambassador Alexander Vershbow, Deputy Secretary General
of NATO
3. Official
visit to Latvia (27-28 April 2015)
- Ms Inese Lībiņa-Egnere,
Deputy Speaker of the Saeima
- Ms Lolita Čigāne, Chairperson of the European Affairs
Committee of the Saeima
- Ms Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima
- Mr Edgars Rinkēvičs, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia
- Mr Rihards Kozlovskis, Minister of the Interior of Latvia
- Ms Mārīte Seile, Minister of Education and Science of
Latvia
- Representatives of the parliamentary groups:
- Mr Edvards Smiltēns, Deputy
Chairperson of Unity parliamentary group,
- Mr Armands Krauze, Member of Union of Greens and Farmers
parliamentary group,
- Mr Edvīns Šnore, member of National Alliance „All For
Latvia!” – „For Fatherland and Freedom / LNNK” parliamentary group
- Mr Igors Pimenovs, member of Concord parliamentary group,
- Ms Nellija Kleinberga, Deputy Chairperson of Latvian Regional
Alliance parliamentary group,
- Mr Gunārs Kūtris, Deputy Chairman of the parliamentary
group “For Latvia from the Heart”
- Representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office of Latvia:
- Ms Ineta Piļāne, Deputy Ombudsman,
Head of Division of Civil and Political Rights,
- Ms Kristīne Pakārkle, Deputy Head of Division of Civil
and Political Rights,
- Ms Ruta Siliņa, Head of Division of Communication and
International Cooperation,
- Mr Artūrs Kučs, Advisor to the Ombudsman
- Representatives of NGOs
4. Meetings
in Strasbourg (29 April 2015)
- Mr Axel Fischer, President
of the parliamentary delegation of Germany, with Ms Dorothée Belz
and Dr Michael Spangenberger
- Mr Dominique Lamiot, President of the Governing Board
of the Council of Europe Development Bank
5. Official
visit to Georgia (6-8 May 2015)
- Mr David Usupashvili,
Speaker of the Parliament, and representatives of the different
political groups in the Georgian Parliament: Mr Tedo Japaridze,
Ms Tinatin Bokuchava, Mr Irakli Chikovani, Mr Levan Berdzenishvili
- Mr Irakli GaribashviliI, Prime Minister of Georgia
- Mr Giorgi Margvelashvili, President of Georgia
- Members of the Georgian delegation to the Parliamentary
Assembly: Ms Guguli Magradze and Mr Zviad Kvatchantiradze
- Mr Vladimer Papava, Rector of the State University Ivane
Javakhishvili of Tbilisi
- Mr Shota Rekhviashvili, Deputy Minister of Internally
Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accomodation and
Refugees of Georgia
- Ms Keti Tsikhelashvili, First Deputy State Minister of
Georgia for Reconciliation and Civil Equality
- Ms Nino Gvenetadze, Chairperson of the Supreme Court
- Representatives of the faction “Free Democrats”: Mr Irakli
Chikovani, Mr Victor Dolidze, Mr David Onoprishvili, Mr Shalva Shavgulidze
- Ms Tamar Beruchashvili, Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Georgia
- Representatives of the faction “United National Movement”:
Mr David Bakradze, Ms Chiora Taktakishvili, Mr Zurab Japaridze,
Mr Akaki Minashvili
- Representatives of the Parliamentary Majority: Ms Ani
Mirotadze, Mr Giorgi Volski, Mr David Saganelidze, Mr David Berdzenishvili,
Mr Giga Bukia, Mr Giorgi Topadze, Mr Gocha Enukidze
- Representatives of the NGO’s
- Mr Ucha Nanuashvili, Public Defender of Georgia
6. Participation
in the award ceremony of The International Charlemagne Prize of
Aachen (Aachen, Germany, 14 May 2015)
- Dr h.c. Martin Schulz,
President of the European Parliament
- Mr Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission
- Mr Petro Poroshenko, President of Ukraine
- Mr Pavlo Klimkin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ukraine
7. Meetings
with the diplomatic community
- Mr Luís Filipe Castro
Mendes, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative
of Portugal to the Council of Europe
- Mr Rolands Lappuķe, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary,
Permanent Representative of Latvia to the Council of Europe
- Mr Julius Georg Luy, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary,
Permanent Representative of Germany to the Council of Europe
- Mr Jean-Marc Hoscheit, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of
the Grand-Duché of Luxembourg to the United Nations and other International
Organisations offices in Geneva (phone call)
- Ms Amy P. Westling, Consul General, USA
- Ms Eva Tomić, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary,
Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the Council of Europe
- Mr Pekka Hyvönen, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary,
Permanent Representative of Finland to the Council of Europe
- Representatives of the diplomatic and international community
in Georgia
- Ms Arlette Conzemius, Ambassador of Luxembourg in Turkey
(Phone conversation)
Contacts
with media between 16 April and 19 May 2015 (in chronological order)
MEDIA
|
TYPE
|
PAYS
|
Press
conference
|
BelaPAN, European Radio
for Belarus, Belteleradiocompagy, Belta
|
Radio
|
Belarus
|
Radio Free Europe Moscow
Bureau
|
Radio
|
Russia
|
Izvestia and EFE correspondent
for South Caucasus
|
Press agency
|
Georgia
|
Radio Free Europe / Radio
Liberty
|
radio
|
|
Itogy Mag
|
|
Russia
|
Ria Novosti
|
Press agency
|
Russia
|
Le Quotidien
|
Written press
|
Luxembourg
|
Local journalists
|
|
France
|
Local journalists
|
TV Channel
|
Georgia
|
Georgian journal
|
Written press
|
Georgia
|
Appendix 2 – Activities between
19 May and 19 June 2015
(open)
Bilateral
meetings (in chronological order)
1. 125th
Session of the Committee of Ministers (Brussels, 19 May 2015)
- Mr Bård Glad Pedersen,
State Secretary, Norway
- Mr Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian
Federation
2. Assembly
meetings in Sarajevo (20-22 May 2015)
- Mr Šefik Džaferović
Speaker of the House of Representatives
- Mr Bariša Čolak, Speaker of the House of Peoples
- Mr Igor Crnadak, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman
of the Committee of Ministers
3. Conference
«National and International Experiences in codes of conduct for
parliamentarians» (Rome, 4 June 2015)
- Ms Maria Elena Boschi,
Minister for constitutional reforms and relations with the Italian
Parliament
- Ms Laura Boldrini, President, Chamber of Deputies of Italy
- Mr Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic
4. Meetings
in Luxembourg (5 June 2015)
- Ms Vesna Arsic, Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Serbia in the
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
- Mr Mikhail Khodorkovsky, leader of the Open Russia movement
5. Meetings
in Strasbourg (8 June 2015)
- Mgr Paul R. Gallagher,
Secretary for Relations with States, Holly See
6. Visit
to the United Nations institutions in Geneva (Geneva, 8-10 June
2015)
- Representatives of the
international community
- NGOs
- Human Rights
House Foundation
- Human Rights Watch
- Association for the Prevention of Torture
- Amnesty International
- Mrs Flavia Pansieri, Deputy High Commissioner for Human
Rights of the United Nations (HCHR)
- Ambassador Anda Filip, Director for Member Parliaments
and External Relations, Interparliamentary Union (IPU)
- Ms Laura Thompson, Deputy Director General of the International
Organisation for Migration (IOM)
- Mr Roman Helfer, European delegate, National Coordinator
for the No Hate Speech Movement in Switzerland, Swiss Council for
Youth Associations (CSAJ/SAJV)
- Mr François Crépeau, Special Rapporteur on human rights
of migrants
- Mrs Azita Berar Awad, Director of the Employment Policy
Department, International Labour Office (ILO)
- Mrs Katja Hujo, Senior Research Coordinator, United Nations
Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD)
- Mr Antonio Guterres, High Commissioner, United Nations
Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
- Mrs Christine Beerli, Vice-President, International Committee
of the Red Cross (ICRC)
7. Ad hoc
Committee of the Bureau on large scale arrival of refugees to Turkey
(Istanbul and Gaziantep, 14-16 June 2015)
- Mr Fuat Oktay, President
of the Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Authority
(AFAD)
- Ms Pascale Moreau, Representative of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Turkey
- Mr Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey
- Mr Hasan Kara and Mr Guncel Haberler, respectively Mayor and Governor
of Kilis
- Ms Fatma Şahin, Mayor of Gaziantep
8. Meetings
with the diplomatic community
- Mr Alexander Alekseev,
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative
of the Russian Federation
- Ms Amy P. Westling, Consul General, United States of America
- Ms Katalin Dusaucy-Rapp, First Secretary of the Embassy
of Hungary to Belgium and Luxembourg
Contacts
with media (19 May-19 June 2015) (in chronological order)
MEDIA
|
TYPE
|
COUNTRY
|
Dnevni Avaz
Nezavisne
Novine
Dnevni List
Local media in Sarajevo
|
Written press
Written
press
Written press
TV, radio, written
press
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
Daily Sabah
|
Written press
|
Turkey
|
Council of Europe Journal
|
Web
|
|
Press Office, Italian
Chamber of Deputies
|
Written press and web
|
Italy
|
Libre Belgique and Agence
Europe
|
Newspaper / news agency
|
Belgium
|
The Parliament Magazine,
Brussels
EurActive online magazine
|
Written press, web
Web
|
Belgium
|
Daily Sabah
NTV
and website
Many local media in Gaziantep
|
Written press
TV,
web
TV
|
Turkey
|